# Cocciapazza Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva (2020)

- **Producer:** Torre dei Beati
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Montepulciano
- **Region:** Abruzzo, Italy
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.5%
- **Average price:** €30
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, plum, blackberry, blackcurrant, black pepper, violet, liquorice, vanilla, cloves, cedar, smoke, chocolate, leather, tobacco, forest floor, dried fig

## About this wine

Torre dei Beati was established in 1999 by Adriana Galasso and Fausto Albanesi, taking its name from a detail in a 14th-century fresco in the local church of Santa Maria in Piano. The estate has been certified organic since its first vintage in 2002. Cocciapazza, meaning 'crazy head' in the local dialect, is the estate's flagship single-vineyard Riserva. The vineyard is characterized by stony, limestone-rich soils and a unique microclimate influenced by the nearby Gran Sasso mountain and the Adriatic Sea, yielding a wine of remarkable depth, complexity, and longevity.

## Interesting facts

- The name 'Torre dei Beati' (Tower of the Blessed) comes from a 14th-century fresco depicting the Last Judgment.
- Cocciapazza translates to 'crazy head' in the local Abruzzese dialect, referencing the stony, difficult-to-farm vineyard soil.
- The estate has been strictly certified organic since its very first commercial vintage in 2002.

## Food pairing

The robust structure, firm tannins, and rich dark fruit profile of this Montepulciano Riserva require equally hearty dishes. High-protein meats like lamb and wild game soften the wine's tannins, while earthy components like mushrooms and aged cheeses complement its savory, rustic undertones.

## Wine making process

The grapes for Cocciapazza are harvested manually in multiple passes (scalar harvesting) to ensure only perfectly ripe bunches are selected. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks with extended skin contact to extract color, structure, and flavor. The wine is then aged for approximately 20 to 22 months in French oak barriques (a mix of new and used barrels) to integrate the robust tannins, followed by further refinement in the bottle before release.